Cutie and the Berwald
by sufinprincess
Summary: When Timo's city is put under lockdown, he knows he needs to find a way to get out of there. He meets a cyborg named Berwald who offers him a place to stay until everything blows over.


**This is supposed to be serious. Much more so than the title would have you believe. The cyborg thing is vaguely inspired by Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles.**

_Are humans born good or bad?_

_It's a tough question to answer. I don't think anyone will ever come to a consensus on that. Do people become good? Do they become bad? What makes this happen? What if some are good and some are bad? Why would that happen? What decides who is what?_

_I like to think about stuff like that, I guess. I like to think in general, really. It's probably not right to say it's __fun__, but I don't know how else to describe it. I can't stop, I guess. It just happens._

_As for that question, I've yet to come up with an answer I'd stick with. My first thought was to say humans are good. Then I hesitated. A lot of bad stuff happens in the world. Still, I can't look at my friends and think that they're bad. Yet I can't look at the world and say it's good. It seemed that there was no middle ground._

_The other day, I came up with the idea that perhaps we're biased. Doesn't everyone think they're basically good? Don't they think they have good morals? Don't we think that we're the exception? What if the world is all bad, but our thoughts shield us from that realization?_

_That view is very depressing. I'm not sure I want to think about it again._

—Excerpt from Entry 1 of Timo Väinämöinen's thought journal

* * *

Timo Väinämöinen was an odd boy. Everyone could agree on that. There were the superficial things, like his being left-handed, his brown eyes that seemed have violet flecks in them, and his small stature. Then there was his tendency to zone out, his bizarre interests, and his peculiar way of thinking. The list could go on, but the fact still stood that Timo was an odd boy.

However, everyone could also agree that Timo was impossibly cute. Soft, dirty blond hair that always fell messily across his forehead, faint freckles sometimes hidden by the flush in his cheeks, a sweet smile, a soft face. He was a little chubby, but that just made him cuter.

Timo did not like being considered cute. It wasn't that he disliked it, but it was frustrating to never be taken seriously.

Timo didn't like to voice these concerns to his friends. They never seemed to really understand.

"I see," said Ivan after listening to Timo babble on about all of this for a long while.

Timo blinked. "Where … you actually listening?" he asked incredulously. It was rare that anyone did. Timo felt a rush of affection for this new student. This seemed good.

* * *

_I once was told that a world without problems would be very boring. I agree. But I also have to wonder if we could have a world with smaller problems. No murder, no violent crimes, no discrimination. Maybe stupid things like crushes and job interviews could be the most of our concerns._

_Still, I've also been told that happiness is equal to sadness. So if that's all the sadness we have, we wouldn't be very happy, then, would we?_

—Excerpt from Entry 6 of Timo Väinämöinen's thought journal

* * *

Timo shoved his notebook in his locker. God forbid anyone find that. It was bad enough that his friends teased him for some of his thoughts. What would they do if they found every single one he didn't tell them? Not that his friends were bad or anything. They just didn't seem to understand why Timo thought so much about stuff like that.

"Timo Väinämöinen, will you go out with me?"

Oh. Timo shut his locker door and turned around. Ivan, the new student and his new friend, was smiling softly at him. Timo wished he could have been surprised. Wasn't that how it was supposed to be? But Timo was so used to having friends fall for him.

He pinned on a smile. He'd found that that usually worked best in rejection. He did his best to soften his face. "Ivan," he began gently, "I'm sorry. But I don't date."

Ivan's face didn't change. "At all? Are you aromantic? Or are you just not interested in boys?"

Timo tried to keep his calm. "I—" He stopped, deciding not to comment on his sexuality. "I just don't date. I'm not interested in it right now. I'm sorry."

Still the same expression. "I understand," said Ivan. He took a step back—good, he was in Timo's personal space—and paused. Timo wondered if he should make a comment about still being friends. He didn't want Ivan to think they could never speak again. Timo really did like him—as a friend. But perhaps that would be awkward. Ivan then walked away. Timo sighed. He looked at his bag. Had he grabbed everything he needed for class?

"Again?"

Timo squealed. He turned to see his best friend—and underclassman—Eiríkur.

"I hope you realize you're kind of creepy," said Timo.

Eiríkur shrugged. He said, "That will never change, will it? Everyone will always be head over heels for you."

"Not funny," said Timo. It just wasn't and it set a sick feeling in his stomach. He knew it wasn't normal that so many liked him. Timo had never quite figured out why. Perhaps it was just that he seemed stable. Around here, stability was rare. People moved in and out all the time. Jobs weren't secure. Buildings were built and demolished on a regular schedule. But Timo was always there. Timo always lived in the same apartment. He even worked at the same store and he had since he was sixteen.

"Do you want to come over after school?" Eiríkur asked. They turned down the hallway and avoided classmates standing in the way.

"Sure," Timo agreed, eager to be away from home.

"Nils will be there," said Eiríkur. "And so will Søren." Søren being Nils's cyborg boyfriend. They were going to get married before Søren's accident, but since cyborg-human marriages were illegal, they were still just dating.

Timo nodded. "Hey—do you think we'll use our texts today?"

"Yeah. It _is_ math, dumbo. Why?" Eiríkur pulled his bag up his shoulder.

Timo sighed. "My tab wasn't working last night. I was going to take it to get looked at during lunch."

"Just look off of mine," suggested Eiríkur as they walked into the room. They took their seats side by side and Eiríkur took a look around the room. "Or you could ask Elise. She's good with computers." He made a slight motion to the girl two seats in front of him. Elise turned around and her hair swung with the motion.

"What?"

Eiríkur seemed to have lost his voice. "My tab isn't working," said Timo. He pulled it out of his case and handed it over to Elise.

She looked it over for a moment. She pushed the power button and the screen flashed. It started to turn on, but then it froze and shut down again. Elise made a humming noise. She ran her nail along the back and pulled a panel out. She then removed something, put it back in, and replaced the panel. Then she tried turning on the tab again.

"Here you go!" she said cheerfully once she was sure she had fixed it. "Here's a tip: sometimes just removing the battery helps."

"Thanks!" Timo replied. He pulled up his homework from the previous night and looked at Eiríkur. "Do you understand how to do number 17?"

Eiríkur looked uncomfortable. "I was going to ask you." He looked at Elise, well-known for being good at math. She seemed to feel the stare and she made an awkward smile. Eduard took his seat behind Timo.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"17."

Eduard's face brightened and he quickly explained it to the other three. They scribbled it on their tab screens.

Putting the finishing touch on the problem, Elise said, "By the way, Timo, do you know what happened to make your tab act up?"

Timo shrugged. "I got home and it was just being weird."

Elise frowned. "Something had to spark it," she insisted. "Tabs just don't act weird for no reason. Did you drop it or did you get it wet or something?"

"Nope."

Elise hummed. "Did a cyborg touch it?" she asked.

Timo blinked. "Huh?"

Elise continued, "Cyborgs' limbs occasionally short-circuit because they haven't quite perfected the technology. Sometimes it can mess up electronics."

"I haven't been around any cyborgs," said Timo as he tapped his fingers on the desk rhythmically. It was perfectly in time. Every half a second a finger touched.

"Søren?" Eiríkur mentioned.

Timo shook his head. He said, "I had work yesterday. I wasn't over."

"Who's Søren?" Elise asked.

Eiríkur stiffened at the question. It was never easy to tell who was okay with cyborgs and who wasn't. It was especially difficult when mentioning them to a crush. "My brother's boyfriend," he said hesitantly.

Elise smiled. "Oh, your brother dates a cyborg?" she asked. She was quiet so no one else would hear.

"Yeah … ."

"My family has a cyborg," she said. "His name is Basch. He's like a brother to me."

Eiríkur relaxed. Timo smiled, relieved for his friend, and rested his head on his hand.

"Ah!" he exclaimed.

Eduard raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

"My hand is cold," Timo said. "No big deal."

* * *

_I can't let that question go. I started to think about oppression. Doesn't it seem it like humans have always had to have another human be lower than them because of something that's just a part of them? There was race, sexuality, gender, and a thousand other things. Now, it's the cyborgs. They didn't ask to be cyborgs, did they? So how is it fair that they're treated like that?_

_So, yeah, I guess you could say I'm for cyborg rights._

_Also, isn't it weird how when it comes down to it, when you think of someone, you only ever really think of one trait? Nils is stoic. Eiríkur is hot-headed. Eduard is good with computers. And I'm cute._

_It's sad really. I have some of the top grades in our class. I'm pretty good in PE. I may not be good with computers, but I can sing, kind of. And yet I'm still just cute._

—Excerpt from Entry 11 of Timo Väinämöinen's thought journal

* * *

"Your house is always so warm!" Timo remarked, pulling off his jacket. He tossed in on the couch without any remorse, proof of his comfort in this home.

"I don't feel a thing," said Eiríkur and Timo knew he was the only one who didn't find the temperature stifling.

Nils, on the couch and having been hit by the jacket, tossed it to the side. "Hello, Timo," he said calmly.

Søren's head popped in the room. "Hey, kiddos!" he called happily. He stepped in all the way. He was an obvious cyborg. He and Nils had been unable to afford the much more expensive limbs designed to appear exactly like the replaced body part. He instead had a steel-colored leg and an iron hand.

Eiríkur groaned and looked away. Timo smiled and greeted his friend's almost-brother-in-law in the same manner. Søren walked across the room, kissing both Nils's and Eiríkur's cheeks and giving Timo a hug.

"No work today?" Nils asked and he turned the page of his book.

Timo shook his head.

"Good. You've been working a lot lately. It's not good for someone your age."

Timo shrugged. "I have bills to pay! I can't just ignore them!"

Eiríkur shifted impatiently. "Timo, let's go play video games."

"Sure." Timo allowed himself to be led along. When they reached Eiríkur's room, Eiríkur plopped down on the bed and took the black controller. Timo leaned on the side and grabbed the blue. It was a usual scenario for the two of them.

"Do you have homework?" asked Timo as they waited for the screen to load.

Eiríkur shook his head.

"Me either."

Eiríkur nodded. "Hey, then you can stay over."

Timo was confused.

"We're off school tomorrow," Eiríkur explained, "and your grandma doesn't mind when you stay over here if you don't have homework."

It took Timo a moment to respond. He grinned. "Oh, yeah! Well, have you asked your brother?"

Eiríkur shook his head. "He's fine with it though. He never minds when you stay over. 'He might as well move in,'" Eiríkur mimicked.

Timo smiled sheepishly.

"Let's just play the game," he said and they both knew they would play all night.

* * *

_I've been asked multiple times if I'm aromantic. I have to wonder. I've never even thought about having a relationship._

_Why am I writing this in here?_

—Excerpt from Entry 24 of Timo Väinämöinen's thought journal

* * *

The boys stumbled out of Eiríkur's room at ten the next morning. Breakfast was already set out for them, but the room was abandoned. Eiríkur collapsed in a chair. Timo took a seat as well.

"Søren already left for work. I'll leave in about half an hour. Help yourself to the coffee," called Nils from the living room. He received a groan in response.

Breakfast was eaten leisurely. Coffee was poured and drunk and eventually the cereal was touched. They ate in near silence, neither one being a morning person. The only sound was the TV from the living room. Nils was watching the news. Boring reports were heard for a long while. Then there was the sound of Nils rising and his footsteps into the kitchen to pour another cup of coffee.

"_The governor has put the city of Mineur Rose under lockdown—_"

Timo's spoon slipped from his hand and hit the bowl with a clank.

"Wha'sa matter?" Eiríkur asked sleepily.

"Uh. Lockdown," Timo said. "Why is there a lockdown?" His heart pounded. A lockdown meant they were to investigate every household.

"Cyborg riot," said Nils, not even bothering to look up. He took another sip of coffee.

Timo paused. "Oh," he forced out.

Nils nodded. "Søren will likely be taken into custody for a few days." That always happened when any cyborg problem came up. All registered cyborgs were taken from the wards for up to a week. However, during a lockdown, all cyborgs would be taken in. Including cyborgs that were not registered.

Timo touched his left hand. Looked like skin, felt like skin. But nothing could change the fact that Timo's entire left arm was robotic.

* * *

_I'm supposed to be Timo the Perfect Boy. Too sweet and too kind to do anything bad. Timo the Boy Who Can't Lie._

_I lie so much it surprises me sometimes. But, honestly, I'm not sure lying is bad. I think it's justified on many occasions. But it's really depends on every single situation. Everything is different. Perhaps that's one reason I disagree with the court system. Every circumstance is different. How can you possibly make a rule for situations that require different solutions?_

_I don't know. It's just a dumb thought._

—Excerpt from Entry 37 of Timo Väinämöinen's thought journal

* * *

Timo packed his bag in the middle of the night. It was the only real time he knew he would be able to escape. There was a hole in the barrier by the dock. It was commonly used when people wanted to walk their dogs without having to worry about cleaning up after them. Timo walked Kukkamuna there a lot. He'd never realized how lucky that was. The guards there knew him well and they would likely let him slip out. By the time they realized he wasn't coming back, Timo hoped he would be far enough away. There was no way he was staying in town. He didn't want a ward and he didn't want his chances of a decent future ruined.

That was the plan. Timo tossed his bag on his shoulder. He had decided on the one he used for school. It was fairly big and, with any luck, he could convince the guards he'd been coming from work.

Timo grabbed Kukka by the collar. He whimpered.

"Shhhh," said Timo. He hooked the leash on and started to pull him out the door. They walked down the empty sidewalk. The only sound was the click of Kukka's claws against the concrete. It took about five minutes to reach the dock. Timo avoided the main roads with the larger shops and stayed close to the smaller ones. He didn't want too many to see him.

"Väinämöinen!"

Timo turned to see Alfred, one of the guards. "Hey!" he replied with a smile, even though his heart pounded anxiously.

"Why are you out this late?" Alfred asked.

Timo groaned. "I worked late and I hadn't had time to walk Kukkamuna. I came here as soon as I clocked out."

Alfred raised an eyebrow. "You brought your dog to work?"

Timo bit his lip. He hadn't thought of that. Shit. "I work at a kennel!" he responded. "I bring Kukka there so he can play with the other puppies," he lied.

Alfred grinned. "Oh. Okay then!" He paused. "Are you wanting out there?"

Timo's smile slipped from his face. "Is something wrong?"

Alfred sighed. "Dude, we're not supposed to let you out normally. And we're on lockdown."

Timo tried to appear as sad as possible. "Oh … ," he said. "Sorry. I'll just—"

"Well—no, go on ahead. It's more trouble to have the dog in the city limits. Just be back quickly," said Alfred.

"I will!" Timo promised. He felt somewhat bad for this. Alfred would be punished because Timo escaped—or, if they decided to blame his departure on the cyborgs as they would likely, kidnapped—on his watch. Alfred was a good guy. He didn't deserve this. But Timo's resolve wouldn't break. He walked for a bit into the woods. Kukkamuna pulled on the leash and attempted to sniff the trees.

"No, boy," ordered Timo in a hushed tone. Suddenly, Kukkamuna pulled hard. The leash slipped from Timo's hand. "Damn it. Kukkamuna!"

Timo ran after him. The leaves and twigs crunched under his boots. It was dark out, but Timo's eyes had adjusted fairly well. He could have seen better if there weren't so many trees. He avoided them to the best of his ability, but it still made it fairly difficult to navigate.

Finally, Timo had run so much that his lungs were burning. He leaned against a tree and panted.

"Damn it. Shit. Fuck." He took a few more breaths and looked around again. "Kukkamuna!"

Timo squinted. He saw a figure in the distance. What if that was a guard? What if Alfred had come after him? He looked again. That figure was too big to be Alfred. He slunk behind the tree so the figure couldn't see him. Then he froze. There was a little white splotch. Timo stared concentratedly.

"Kukkamuna," he whispered. He debated his options. If it was a guard, he could just explain what happened. He would still have to go back to the city. He would have to hope that he could find some other way to escape the investigation.

His dog was worth it. Timo ran up to the figure.

"Excuse me, that's my—"

Timo froze. The man in front of him was a cyborg. Not even just one limb. Half of his face was metal and so were the majority of both his arms. Nothing else was visible, but Timo had to guess a lot of that would be robotic as well.

This man was terrifying.


End file.
